The factors crucial for sustaining milk production in late lactation

As cows progress into late lactation and weather conditions begin to change, it is crucial to prioritise maintaining sufficient dry matter intake, achieving milk quality standards, and meeting body condition score targets, writes Feidhlim Roche, Alltech InTouch feeding specialist for Southeast Ireland

Planning ahead by analysing silage to provide a balanced diet — based on both silage quality and cow condition — is critical to ensuring cows are dried off at the correct BCS.

Irish dairy farmers have, for the most part, made excellent use of this year’s good grazing conditions. With a strong spring and summer, aside from a brief period when grass supplies ran tight, it has been a largely positive year.

Across counties including Wicklow, Kilkenny and Laois, the farmers I work with have achieved strong grass utilisation this season. This has largely been driven by well-structured grazing rotations and thoughtful supplementation strategies that help balance feed supply and maintain animal performance.